Shaanxi general who staged the Xi’an incident with Zhang Xueliang and forced the second united front
He took part in the Xinhai Revolution as a youth and by 1926 was a leading warlord of Shaanxi. After the Central Plains War of 1930 he allied with the Nanjing Nationalist government and became commander of its Northwestern Army. Ordered in 1935 to destroy the Red Army in northern Shaanxi with Zhang Xueliang’s Northeastern Army, he was won over by the Communist proposal of joint resistance to Japan, and on 12 December 1936 he and Zhang seized Chiang Kai-shek at Xi’an to demand an end to the civil war (the Xi’an incident). Forced into exile and then arrested by the Juntong, he was held for twelve years and on 6 September 1949, on Chiang’s orders, was killed at Chongqing with two of his children.
Also known as: Yang Hu-ch'eng
Activities and affiliations
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1926–1928
Beiyang government and warlordsShaanxi warlord
Military command -
1930–1937
Republic of China state institutionsCommander of the Northwestern ArmyMain
Military command -
–1949
Military command
Career Timeline
- 1911Took part in the Xinhai Revolution
- 1926A leading warlord of Shaanxi
- 1930Allied with the Nanjing government; commander of the Northwestern Army
- 1935Ordered with the Northeastern Army to destroy the Red Army in northern Shaanxi
- 1936Seized Chiang Kai-shek in the Xi’an incident
- 1937–1949Exiled, then arrested by the Juntong and imprisoned
- 1949Killed by Nationalist agents at Chongqing
Related historical events
- 1927–1936From Jinggangshan to Yan’an: the soviet bases and the Long MarchCo-leader of the Xi’an IncidentJoined Zhang Xueliang in detaining Chiang Kai-shek and demanding cooperation against Japan in 1936.
- 1937–1945The war with Japan and the second united frontCo-leader of the Xi’an incidentCommanding the Northwestern Army, he seized Chiang with Zhang Xueliang; imprisoned for twelve years, he was killed in 1949.
- 1945–1949The Chinese Civil WarXi’an incident general murdered by Nationalist agentsImprisoned for twelve years, he was killed with his children at Chongqing in September 1949 before the Nationalist withdrawal.